Khamenei Gives 2-Nuke Religious Quota
September 30, 2004 :: Geostrategy-Direct :: News
Geostrategy-Direct cites a U.S. official as saying that the Ayatollah Khamenei has told a gathering of Iran’s senior military and government officials that the production of at least two nuclear weapons is a religious duty. Khamenei is cited as saying that, “We must have two bombs ready to go in January or you are not Muslims.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Iran, Nuclear Weapons
Superpower Proliferation to Iran: Seven Chinese Companies Sanctioned; Three from Former Soviet Union
September 27, 2004 :: Washington Times :: News
The State Department imposed sanctions on fourteen firms or individuals today for illicit proliferation, seven of which were on Chinese companies. The Chinese companies were sanctioned for the proliferation of unconventional weapons and missile technology to Iran.
In addition, one Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian companies were also sanctioned, as well as one from North Korea. Each of these entities was charged with selling materials to Iran.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher commented on the Chinese companies that “There was credible evidence that these entities had transferred one of several categories of items to Iran” since January 1999. “That would be equipment listed on multilateral export lists, items that have a potential of making a contribution to weapons of mass destruction or cruise or ballistic missiles.” (More »»»)
» VOA: Fourteen firms or individuals sanctioned
» Sep. 29, 2004: 100 tons of S. Korean dual-use sodium cyanide reached N. Korea by way of China
» More stories on: China, Iran, North Korea, Proliferation, Russia
U.S. Sanctions Chinese Firm Proliferating WMD Technology
September 21, 2004 :: News
The U.S. State Department has ordered sanctions on the Chinese state-owned company, Xinshidai, for proliferating material and technical expertise useful to produce weapons of mass destruction. A U.S. official is quoted as saying that Xinshidai “provided material assistance to a country for programs capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction,” but did not name the country to which they sold such materials.
On August 23, The Washington Times reported transfer of missile technology from China to Iran.
Such reports only confirm that the proliferation of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction to so-called “rogue regimes” is a problem which must be seen within the bigger picture of superpower politics. Russia and China indisputably remain the real sources of such proliferation, and the primary, strategic, threats to the United States. (Article, Link)
» Aug. 23: China selling missile technology to Iran
» More stories on: China, Iran, Proliferation
Iran Parades Ballistic Missiles
September 21, 2004 :: News
Iran paraded its Shahab-3 and other missiles today, draped by a number of anti-American slogans and banners. The banner comments included “crush America,” “wipe Israel off the map,” and “We will crush America under our feet.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Iran
» Missile details: Shahab-3
Iran Tests “Strategic,” Medium, and Short-Range Missiles
September 20, 2004 :: News
Iran announced that it tested a missile with a “strategic” range on September 19th. The test which was witnessed by the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, included a version of the Shahab-3 missile capable of carrying a one ton nuclear warhead. The Shahab-3 had been previously tested on August 11. The Israeli Haaretz newspaper has recently stated that the upgraded version of the Shahab-3 had a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,280 miles), much more than the previously estimates of 1,300 to 1,700 kilometers. In addition, unidentified short- and medium-range missiles were also said to have been test launched. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Iran, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: Shahab-3
Iran to Use Missile to Launch Satellite by March; Plan Parallels North Korean 1998 Attempt
September 20, 2004 :: News
Iran is reportedly planning to use the improved version of its Shahab-3 missile to launch a small satellite into orbit, according to a defense industry source quoted by Reuters. The missile would reportedly carry a 20 kg experimental satellite to an orbit of 250 km above the earth. “It is just an experimental satellite which will send a simple signal,” the source said of the project, apparently called “Safir-313.” “Safir” is said to mean “emissary.”
Reuters also reports that Iran announced in January that it meant to be the first Islamic country to go into space and added that it was building a launchpad.
The significance of such a space launch would be to demonstrate an intercontinental capability for the Islamic nation—which is also an official state sponsor of terrorism. The speed and altitude necessary to have a missile reach orbit is similar to that of what an ICBM would need to travel from one side of the globe to the other. North Korea’s very similar 1998 attempt to put a small satellite into orbit demonstrated such ICBM capability. (Article, Link)
» Aug. 31: Sixth anniversary of North Korean satellite launch
» More stories on: Iran
» Missile details: Shahab-3
Fisher on North Korean Missile Threat
September 3, 2004 :: Inside the Ring (Washington Times) :: News
In their weekly column, Inside the Ring, Bill Gertz and Roman Scarborough cite military specialist Richard D. Fisher on the threat from North Korea’s new long-range missile. The missile is that which was recently reported to have been derived from the Russian SS-N-6, from which North Korea is said to have built both a land- and ship-based version.
The columnists note that although the CIA had expected the missile to be displayed in a military parade during September 2003, the display did not take place.
Mr. Fisher also notes that the ship-launch scenario is North Korea’s “simplest option,” whereby they could load the missile onto a merchant ship and launch it against an American coastal city from a comfortable range.
In the past, officials including Donald Rumsfeld have spoken of an unnamed rogue state having tested a ship-launched missile. The columnists positively identify Iran as the nation who tested a ballistic missile in the late 1990s from a merchant vessel. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Iran, North Korea, Ship-Launched Threat
Photos Indicate Improvements to Iranian Shahab-3
August 30, 2004 :: Ha'aretz :: News
Photographs of the Iranian Shahab-3 missile recently published in Iranian newspapers indicate that the warhead has undergone improvements. The photographs reportedly indicate that the missile’s warhead has a flatter shape, which would cause it to re-enter the atmosphere more slowly, allowing its contents to be better protected, important in the case of a chemical warhead. The Israeli Ha’aretz newspaper describes the improvements as characterizing “a daring approach to their technological planning,” and notes that “It is very likely that the Iranians are being assisted by foreign experts from the former Soviet Union hired by Iran under personal contracts, or by experts from North Korea.” The photographs also reportedly indicate that “various short wings” are added on the warhead itself, possibly to aid in re-entry. (Article, Link)
» Washington Times on Shahab-3 warhead improvements
» More stories on: Iran, Technology
» Missile details: Shahab-3
China Source for Missile Technology to Iran
August 23, 2004 :: Washington Times :: News
Bill Gertz of the Washington Times reports that according to U.S. officials, a Chinese company has supplied missile technology to Iran, despite Chinese treaty obligations and promises to the contrary.
Gertz reports that “the transfers took place within the past six months and represent a continuation of past Chinese covert arms transfers to countries such as Iran and Pakistan.”
Gertz cites the recent report by the congressional U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission as naming a number of Chinese ballistic and cruise missiles which have been sold to Iran. These included “a number CSS-8 and DF-15 ballistic missiles to Iran, along with cruise missiles identified as HY-1, HY-2 Silkworm, C-201, C-601, C-801 and C-802.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Iran, Proliferation
Rumsfeld Speaks at Space and Missile Defense Conference
August 18, 2004 :: Department of Defense :: News
Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld spoke to the seventh annual Space and Missile Defense Conference, held in Huntsville, Alabama, where he spoke of the importance of missile defense and the plans for deployment in the coming months.
Among other things, Rumsfeld noted that “History has taught us that weakness is provocative,” and warned that some two dozen countries currently have ballistic missiles and other WMD programs, including North Korea, Pakistan, and Iran.
Rumsfeld noted that the United States would have a limited defense by the end of the year, but stressed the importance that it continue to evolve to match the growing capabilities of those countries, terrorists, and other extremists who threaten America.
Perhaps most importantly, however, is that Rumsfeld apparently repeated his previous observations about the threat from a ship-launched ballistic missile. Gertz and Scarborough in the August 27 edition of Inside the Ring report the following from Rumsfeld:
Mr. Rumsfeld also was asked about the danger of terrorists or rogue states attacking the United States by putting a short-range Scud-type missile on a freighter and firing it close to U.S. shores.
He said one Middle East nation already has “launched a ballistic missile from a cargo vessel.”
“They had taken a short-range, probably Scud missile, put it on a transporter-erector launcher, lowered it in, taken the vessel out into the water, peeled back the top, erected it, fired it, lowered it, covered it up. And the ship that they used was using a radar and electronic equipment that was no different than 50, 60, 100 other ships operating in the immediate area.”
Other U.S. officials have said the nation was Iran, which tested a freighter-launched missile in the Caspian Sea in the late 1990s.
“It is true that the big distinction we make between intercontinental, medium-range and shorter-range ballistic missiles doesn’t make a lot of sense if you’re going to move the missile closer to the target,” he said.
These comments repeat almost verbatim his previous report, one month after 9-11, that such a thing had occured, as well as that by Asst. Sec. of Defense Paul Wolfowitz in 2002. (Article, Link)
» Transcript of Rumsfeld remarks
» More stories on: Iran, North Korea, Policy, Ship-Launched Threat, Testing - Foreign
